There are two major themes in Starman, as I see it: family and nostalgia. And it's used very well in this large collection, in the story with the Wesley Dodds version of Sandman, in the Christmas story that avoids cheese, even in the Shade stories. Shade threatens in every panel to go completely over the top, and he hasn't quite gotten there yet. I've seen this referred to as some of the best of Starman, and I can certainly see that.